U.S. and Russia Still Discuss Geneva II Conference on Syria

Syrian conflict: Lavrov and Kerry will meet again to discuss Geneva II conference.

The Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and his American counterpart, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, currently known for his recent slip of the tongue in terms of the Syrian chemical weapons stockpiles and his lie towards US congressmen about the “absence of Al-Qaeda” on Syrian soil, agreed to meet again later this month.

Both Foreign Ministers of Russia and the United States, although there seems that there is a huge difference between their interpretations of their duties as Foreign Ministers of their countries, have announced that they will meet again in New York in order to continue the talks about the planned next peace conference on the Syrian conflict in Geneva (Geneva II). The Foreign Ministers from Moscow and Washington made the joint announcement during a press conference alongside the UN-Arab League Special Representative for Syria, Lakhdar Brahimi, in Geneva today.

The Russian Foreign Minister and his American counterpart still plan the “Geneva II” peace conference on Syria and hope that this next international conference to find a solution for the conflict in the Arab country will soon become reality. However, some sides seem less interested in such an international conference on Syria in order to find a political solution for the conflict in the Arab country.

Sergey Lavrov and John Kerry will meet again later this month. According to the information of their joint press conference with the UN-Arab League Special Representative for Syria, Lakhdar Brahimi, in Geneva, both Foreign Ministers of the United States and Russia will then meet in New York in order to continue the discussions about the preparations for the next international peace conference on Syria (Geneva II). It is even expected that the Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry aim to announce a date for the next peace conference on the Syrian conflict in Geneva after their next meeting in New York.

Of course, it is probably about time to find a date for the already long-delayed international conference (Geneva II) on the Syrian conflict and crisis. At least, according to the information of this joint press conference in Geneva, both Foreign Ministers of the United States and Russia are interested to finally set a date for the Geneva II – conference on the Syrian conflict and this is probably, beside the Russian four-stage plan and initiative to put Syria’s chemical weapons under an international supervision in order to avoid a US-led military strike on Damascus, one of the key topics of their next meeting in New York later this month.

US Secretary of State John Kerry said at the joint press conference with the UN-Arab League Special Representative for Syria, Lakhdar Brahimi, and his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, that both sides have agreed to meet again in New York and the meeting should happen around the “time of the UN General Assembly”, and thus, at the end of September. According to the statements by the US Secretary of State, both sides hope to then find a date for the Geneva II – conference on the Syrian conflict.

Geneva, Switzerland

However, it was already to expect that the Russian Foreign Minister and the American Secretary of State will meet again on the side-lines of the UN General Assembly meeting in New York at the end of September.

Moscow and Washington have proposed the next international peace conference on the Syrian conflict in Geneva (Geneva II) already in May this year. However, several sides tried everything to prevent this Geneva II – conference on Syria. For example, the foreign-backed “Syrian opposition” as well as the “opposition forces” fighting on Syrian soil against the secular government of President al-Assad in Syria have many preconditions and certainly do not support the finding of a political and peaceful solution for the conflict in Syria.

Further, the so-called “Free Syrian Army” (FSA) and the foreign-supported “Syrian opposition”, which is located outside the Arab country, reject the Russian proposal to put the chemical weapons arsenals in Syria under an international control of the United Nations (UN) in order to destroy the chemicals later and to avoid a US-led war against Damascus. When such a stance of these sides is not already revealing the true colours… and what to really think of this kind of “opposition” outside Syria…